1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to the fields of pediatrics and pacifiers, and more particularly to a pacifier holder assembly and method for holding a pacifier near the face of an infant of other young child lying in their crib.
2. Description of Related Art
The term “pacifier” herein refers to the well-known device that an infant or other young child sucks upon. A typical pacifier includes a nipple-simulating member on a mouth shield with a handle. The nipple-simulating member is usually composed of rubber, plastic, silicone, or other such material. The mouth shield and handle are usually composed of plastic, and they are sized large enough to avoid the child choking on or swallowing the pacifier. The pacifiers available at various internet accessible retail stores under the registered U.S. trademark “NUK” provide examples.
Some parents keep a pacifier within easy reach of their child in order to help avoid loss of their child's ability to associate the suck-swallow reflex with receiving nourishment. Their child may, for example, receive nourishment via a nasogastric tube or a parenternal catheter in the treatment of various disorders (e.g., cleft palate or severe acid reflux). Receiving nourishment through a tube or catheter, however, risks loss of the brain's association of the suck-swallow reflex with nourishment. Pediatricians and other medical professionals recognize that nonnutritive sucking on a pacifier seems to help.
Some existing patents disclose pacifier arrangements intended to keep a pacifier within easy reach for use by a child. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,975 describes a pacifier arrangement intended to promote nonnutritive sucking by holding the pacifier on an infant-graspable tether that the parents can put under their infant's check or otherwise close to their infant. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,697,589; 4,969,894; 5,147,384; 5,391,184; 5,534,014; 6,221,092; 6,732,375; D337,385; D402,760; D415,837; and D687,953 describe other pacifier arrangements. Nevertheless, an effective pacifier arrangement for such use remains elusive.